Falling pine tree in Rome crushes taxi, injuring driver

ROME – A pine tree has crushed a taxi in Rome, injuring the driver but leaving two passengers uninjured.

The taxi was going through a piazza near the Tiber river on Monday when the tree fell on the vehicle. Branches struck two other cars but without causing injuries.

Toppling street trees are a known hazard in Rome. Falling threes injured four people earlier this year. In 2013, a tree killed a man on a motorcycle.

City officials blame the problem on the neglect of past administrations.

Environment Commissioner Pinuccia Montanari estimates that 450 of the 15,000 trees need to be removed.

Montanari said: “That which wasn’t done in 10 years, we are racing to do in a year.”